Wiki weakness: Don't use the site to diagnose yourself, study says

Feeling sick? Make an appointment with your doctor, not your smartphone.

Doctors warn that nine out of 10 medical entries on Wikipedia are inaccurate, a new study in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association says. It's largely due to the fact that Wikipedia gives users control of their content, which can lead to errors.

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"Researchers should not use (Wikipedia) as a primary resource because those articles do not go through the same peer-review processes as medical journals," said lead author Robert Hasty of Campbell University. "The best resource when looking for a diagnosis is to speak with your physician, who can take into account your medical history and other factors to determine the best course of treatment."

Researchers studied site entries on topics like diabetes, high blood pressure, lung cancer and back pain. Though many of the errors found were small, others "could have clinical implications," Hasty said. Out of Wikipedia's 31 million entries, at least 20,000 relate to health.

Shockingly, doctors themselves aren't above checking the site for answers to their own queries.

"Physicians and medical students who currently use Wikipedia as a medical reference should be discouraged from doing so because of the potential for errors," Hasty added.

A Wikipedia spokesman said the site is no replacement for a qualified medical practitioner. (BORIS ROESSLER/EPA)

A Wikipedia spokesman commented, saying that "There are a number of initiatives in place to help the continuous improvement of Wikipedia articles, especially in relation to health and medicine."

"For example, WikiProject Medicine brings together volunteer Wikipedia editors with a knowledge of the topic. They work together to identify articles that need improvement, find credible sources and collaborate on articles to make them more accurate and more readable.

"However, it is crucial that anybody with concerns over their health contacts their GP as a first point of call. Wikipedia, like any encyclopedia, should not take the place of a qualified medical practitioner."